All Summer Long
by ProbsNotPerfect
Summary: Double D is forced to cancel his classes and come home for the summer. The cul de sac hasn't changed much in his absence. As he struggles to balance online courses and keeping the other Ed's out of trouble, he just might find something sweet in the summer heat. (KevEdd. What am I doing with my life?)
1. Coming Home

Having manners is something I've always prided myself on, especially in comparison to those around me. Very rarely does something happen that would cause me to abandon my polite disposition. However, after a long flight full of screaming children and inattentive flight attendants, I was in no mood to even force a friendly smile. Even if I'd been flying in first class my mood would likely still be sour. This wasn't exactly a trip I was looking forward to. Still, one must do right by their parents, even if at times it seems they only have their own interests in mind. I let out an involuntary sigh as I retrieved my bags and made for the exit. Unsurprisingly, my father was running late. He never did have a penchant for punctuality. Oh well.

I pulled out my phone to see if he'd tried to call me, but found an unread message from someone else.

_Eddy: _**tell me its true**

I figured I'd hear from him sooner or later. I suppose he's partially to blame for this in some way. I ignored the text for now and found myself a comfortable place to sit. Dad might still be awhile; the Cul De Sac is pretty far from the airport. I pulled out my laptop and maneuvered to the online class portal. This was my only hope of keeping my education on track for the summer. I truly prefer a typical classroom setting, but it was just not meant to be. I'll bet you want an explanation.

The university I attend is far from home, and you better believe its an Ivy League. I won't get into specifics; one must remember to be humble! But you could say I was finally using my full potential. Although some may blanch at the though of summer classes, I was fully prepared to dive into new courses all summer long. However, my parents dropped a wrecking ball on my plans with one phone call. Just as the winter semester wrapped, they informed me they were going traveling across Europe all summer long. I congratulated them, and even forced myself to refrain from questioning if they are really in a decent enough financial state to do this. I figured they were going to invite me along, and although the prospect of a trip was appealing, I knew it was in my best interest to decline.

They did _not_ offer. Instead, they "asked" if I wouldn't mind coming home for the summer to housesit for them. I informed them that I _did _in fact mind and even offered alternate solutions! My parents were great friends with other adults in the cul-de-sac, especially the parents of Ed and Eddy. Surely one of them wouldn't mind watering plants and collecting the mail. It was only when my mother responded with "Actually, they're coming with us! We're going as a group!" that I began to put the pieces into place.

The irony was lethal. As children, the three of us were always concocting one scheme after the other, but now the tables had turned. Our parents had planned their dream vacation, but ran into one small snag. None of them trusted Ed or Eddy to be home without them. I suppose I couldn't blame them, considering all the trouble we caused before we were even old enough to drive. So, they came up with the ultimate solution. _Oh, we'll just have our son Eddward come home! He's always been the voice of reason. He'll keep the other boys in line!_

They didn't need me to housesit. They needed me to _babysit._

I have to admit, I didn't put up as much of a fight as I could have. Although I really didn't want to risk falling behind schedule with my studies, I hadn't seen my old friends for quite a while. As long as I focused on my online course work and kept those two out of any major trouble, I'm sure I could survive the summer. Besides, we aren't kids anymore. Surely even Ed and Eddy have matured by now.

I look down to find another text.

_Eddy: _**hey! answer me sockhead!**

Maybe not.

* * *

Father finally arrived and I helped him load my bags into the car. I refrained from expressing any sort of anger about the situation and just let him ramble on about their trip. Despite the circumstances, I was happy for them. It had been a long time since I'd seen them this happy.

My phone continued to buzz and I decided I'd better respond before Eddy's impatience prompts him to actually call me.

_Me: _**Yes, Eddy. I'm coming home for the summer.**

His response was an explosion of emojis: clapping hands, confetti, and dollar signs. Some things never change.

_Eddy: _**ed's gonna freak**

_Eddy: _**we gotta throw a party or something**

_Eddy: _**the ed's are back in action :)**

I fought back a smile. Even though he was probably already hatching heinous schemes, his enthusiasm brought me back to all the good times we had. Looking back now, we really should have been supervised 24/7. Our quest for jaw breakers was incessant, and we roped all the other kids into it too. I probably spent more time outside working on our next biggest scheme than I did in my own room. I still kept everything organized and tidy, of course.

* * *

Dad decided to extend the already lengthy drive home by stopping to hit the drive through at his favorite burger place. I declined any of that greasy slop, but did cave for a little milkshake.

As we turned down the familiar road I spotted Sarah and Jimmy soaking up the sun on Jimmy's front lawn. They both were sporting colorful summer attire, which was nice to see. The last time I'd seen them, they'd been deep in a phase of dark colors and piercings. Ed had called it emu, which I had frequently reminded him was a large bird. Regardless, it appeared to have finally passed.

We pulled in the driveway and I could already tell I had my work cut out for me. Ed's or no Ed's, my parents had let their cleaning skills slip in my absence. They had always drilled the importance of neatness into my life with their constant sticky notes, but it seems without me to do the brunt of he chores they'd thrown organization out the window. First thing tomorrow I'll start on those gutters.

* * *

I could hardly get a word in all through dinner. Mother and father were elated to fill me in on their grand plans for their dream vacation. Some of it did sound quite nice. It's a shame they won't remember most of it, since they have a passion for consuming copious amounts of alcohol. Oh well. They'll just remember it as an exciting blur.

I'd had to silence my phone as Eddy had continued to bombard me with messages, most of them in all caps. What doesn't he understand about _I'll come see you after I have dinner with my parents_? They are going to be away for the next few months, after all.

My old room is still looking as spotless as ever, thank goodness. Labels still in place, books alphabetized, and blueprints for hairbrained schemes hidden in the desk drawer. I scoot my old microscope to the side to make room for my computer, checking my online classes one final time. So far, they only consist of introductory remarks from the instructors and spots to introduce ourselves. I, of course, was one of the first students to do so, setting an example for the rest of the class. I try not to brag, but my professional conversation skills are _truly _impeccable.

"Eddward, you've got a friend at the door!"

I shut my computer and pinch the bridge of my nose. _Impatience thy name is Eddy._

Sure enough, I find him leaning against my father's car with his signature grin. The sun has long disappeared and I was holding out hope that he'd postpone meeting up until tomorrow. A foolish idea indeed.

"What took you so long?"

"As I said, I was eating dinner with my parents. I assume you were enjoying your parent's company before they leave?"

"Puh-leeze. I can't _wait _for them go. Not all of us went across the country for college you know."

I felt a bit of spite in that comment and couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. Ed and Eddy both hadn't been happy when I first left. Ed had been more open about his emotions as always, but Eddy had been quiet and resentful. I could understand his anger, but we all had known it was coming.

Luckily for me, he seemed to have gotten over it. He threw an arm over my shoulders and led me towards the sidewalk.

"Come on. I've gotta get you caught up."

* * *

Eddy's room hadn't changed too much since we were kids. He'd added a few new posters here and there, and his video game collection was pretty impressive, but other than that it was the same. Same lava lamp, same shag carpet, same scandalous magazines poorly hidden under his bed. It was oddly comforting in a way. I could only imagine the state of Ed's room after all this time.

"How's life on your big fancy campus?" His annoyed tone indicated a lack of interest, but I answered anyway.

"It's going very well. I'm excelling in my studies and even joined a few science clubs."

Eddy snorted. "I'm sure you're the smartest nerd in nerdville."

I ignored his snark and swerved the conversation to his favorite subject, himself.

"How's college been for you?"

"Tch. Lame. I barely passed most of my classes. Can you believe it starts to affect your grade if you skip more than three times? What a joke."

No surprise there. Eddy had been about as eager for college as he would be for a cavity filling. I thought he'd have been excited to learn about marketing or management. But I suppose it would take a miracle before he'd regard learning as fun. I should know. I always tried to inform him of the importance of education.

"Thinking about moving on campus next semester?"

"And share a room with some random lunatic? Pass. There might not _be _a next semester anyway. Maybe I'm better off working at the general store."

Before I had a chance to protest, Eddy donned a grin and changed gears.

"Enough with the small talk. Time for _me _to educate _you._ If we're going to pull off any type of scam this summer, you need to be familiarized with the local suckers."

"Oh Eddy, aren't we just a little too old-"

"Hold that thought double D, we've got a lot to cover. Now, where to start."

I tried one last feeble attempt to distract him. "Uh, where's Ed?"

Eddy snapped his fingers. "Bingo. I'll start with big Ed."

_Whoops._

"So here's the scoop. There's that big commercial farm on the other side of town, and Rolf joined up with them right after high school. After catching Ed in his chicken coop for the millionth time, ole Rolfy brought the big guy down there and got him a job! You gotta see it, Double D. He's a natural."

I could picture it easily. "Do you work there with him?"

Eddy glared at me. "You're joking right? Me, working with those two psychopaths?"

"Well, where _do _you work?"

"I _work _at getting more achievements than my brother in every game. It's a full-time job, believe me. He's got nothing else going on, wherever he is."

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Anyway, you're getting me off topic. Ed's usually passed out at home from working all day. He'll probably bang on your door at 8 am once he finds out you're here." He cracks his knuckles and brings me down the list.

"Sarah's still a brat and Jimmy's still her little puppy. Thankfully they've still got school for a few more weeks. Naz is still _smokin hot_ and totally single." Eddy's eyebrow raise would unsettle a blind person. "Johnny works construction with his dad. I don't know where they find hardhats big enough for his head. And before you ask, I've definitely seen him carrying around that piece of wood at least once. Oh, and Kevin's still a complete tool. He works at the mechanic shop in town and makes love to his motorcycle every night."

It was almost disheartening to know that they were all still here, not branching out of our little town to bigger and better things. I suppose we're all still young enough. Plenty of time.

I was afraid to ask, but curiosity got the best of me. "What about the Kanker sisters?"

Eddy made a mock puking sound. "Still living in their trailer. Giving a bad name to trailer parks everywhere." He flopped down beside me on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. The silence, although brief, told me he was in deep thought. A rare occurrence; believe me.

"I'm glad you're back, sockhead."

The childish nickname ruined his attempt at sincerity. "Gee, thanks."

"No really. It sucked without you here."

It wasn't often that Eddy spoke so genuinely. Even now I could see he was uncomfortable with the admission. I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm glad too, Eddy."

The moment didn't last. "Alright, now let me tell you my latest scheme."

_Oh boy. It's going to be a long summer._

* * *

**Wow I am really out here writing an Ed Edd n Eddy fic in 2019.**

**Favs follows and reviews are always appreciated. Next chapter soon :)**


	2. Lunch Break

After nearly thirty minutes of listening to Eddy's latest _genius ideas_, I was able to retreat to my room for a goodnights sleep. He'd wanted me to stay and play one of his many violent video games, but I wanted to see my parents off in the morning. And that meant I needed my full eight hours. Lucky for me, I'd probably have time to finish all my coursework for the day before Eddy even crawled out of bed. Sometimes there were advantages to having friends so different from yourself.

The morning came faster than I would have liked, but I still rose promptly with my alarm and hurried out to the kitchen for breakfast. My parents were practically dancing with delight as they loaded their bags into the car. I didn't want to wreck their mood by asking if they'd already covered the bills for the next few months. I suppose I'll find out for myself.

Our goodbye wasn't too emotional. I knew they'd be having the time of their lives and I was still just a _tiny _bit bitter about the whole situation. I tried not to let it show, of course. Self-control is one of the golden rules. I waved goodbye to Ed and Eddy's parents as well. As expected, Eddy hadn't bothered waking up for the occasion. Ed was nowhere in sight, so I assumed he must be down at the farm already.

As I watched the car vanish down the street, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I was surprised to find Sarah, who I thought should already be in school.

It must have been visible on my face. "Relax, college boy. I'm only ditching first period."

"That's not very studious of you."

"Wow. You're still a complete dweeb." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Anyways, I know you're here to keep an eye on Eddy and my brother, but that doesn't mean you're in charge of me too."

How intriguing. Sarah no longer growled threateningly at me, but the look in her eyes still held the same ferocity. She'd always confused me, sometimes harboring a crush for me and other times crushing my bones. I'd come to learn that all women were enigmatic in some way, but Sarah took the cake. I would avoid her wrath at any cost.

"No problem, Sarah. I trust you are fully capable of taking care of yourself."

She smiled, having got her way as usual. "So, you meet any pretty girls at school? Or did you find yourself a new crew of losers to hang with?"

I highly doubted she was interested in hearing about any of my colleagues from the science club, so I opted for a simpler answer. "None like Eddy or your brother."

* * *

After tidying up the kitchen and taking care of the breakfast dishes, I settled down at my computer for the first official day of my online courses. The first lessons were easy enough. I made sure to read all the material and take my own notes as well. I debated moving on and getting a head start on the first assignments, but instead chose to stick with the pacing already set out for me. Besides, there is still plenty of cleaning to be done.

I retrieved the ladder from the garage and found my old gloves; specifically labeled for yard work, of course. Those gutters were about to meet their match. After I finish that, I suppose I should water mother's flowers and trim father's hedges. The grass seems to be the appropriate length, but I'm sure they haven't been trimming near the side of the house. The garage could use some reorganizing as well. I wonder if my old label machine has any paper left. I'll have to pick up a new roll so I can precisely label all the various gardening tools stowed in the corner. Perhaps I should purchase a rack or-

"HEY! EARTH TO DOUBLE D!"

A loud shout from below startles me, and I nearly loose my balance on the ladder. I toss a minor scowl down to the intrusive voice, finding Eddy grinning back up at me. I was only marginally surprised to see him, since I figured he wouldn't be awake until 2 pm. Checking my watch, I found it to be a little past noon. Must be a new record.

"Come on, sock head. You can play in the leaves later."

"I am not _playing in the leaves._ Gutter maintenance is very-"

"Yeah yeah, save the words of wisdom for the lecture hall. We've got places to be."

Shaking my head, I returned to the task. "Sorry, Eddy. I'm busy."

Predictably, he groaned and lightly kicked my ladder with his foot.

"How much longer will it take?"

"I'm almost finished with this, but I have a whole agenda to complete."

Another groan. "Can't you cut it short? I wanted to drop in on big Ed at work."

Hmm. I _was _feeling guilty that I hadn't seen Ed yet, even though it had only been one day. I supposed I was jumping the gun with my lengthy to do list. My parents hadn't even been gone for half a day yet. I mentally filed away the rest of my plans and descended the ladder with my bag of yard waste.

"Let me just water the flowers and I'll be ready to go."

"_Yippee._"

* * *

Our little town was just the same as I remembered it. Not too strange; I hadn't been gone for decades after all. The farm wasn't very far, and we probably could have walked, but Eddy insisted we take his parents car. I had a sinking feeling he didn't exactly have permission to drive it, but they hadn't informed me of any such rule. It was probably better not to ask.

"So, is Ed allowed to have visitors on the job, or are we intruding into his workspace?"

Eddy gasped in mock offense. "Double D, do you really think_ I_ would do something like that?"

"Hmm, perhaps not. I think you'd be too afraid to upset Rolf."

"Pssh. Right, like I'm scared of _that_ nutjob."

"Have you forgotten the time he challenged you to a duel?"

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "No clue what you're talking about."

I stifled my laughter as I recalled the event. To this day, I am still unsure what culture Rolf and his family hail from. His customs are quite bizarre to say the least. Yet somehow, _we _were still the outcasts.

Eddy stopped at the local pizza parlor, and I concluded we must be visiting Ed for his lunch break. I silently hoped there was a designated eating area at this farm. I could picture Ed dropping a slice of pizza into the dirt and scooping it right back up to eat. In our younger days, he might have just eaten it directly off the ground. The image made my stomach crawl. Hopefully he's matured since then.

"I'll have two large pepperoni pizzas and some bread sticks." Eddy turned to me and extended a hand. "You brought your wallet, right?"

I cross my arms indignantly. He just laughed.

"I'm only kidding; obviously _we're _not paying for this." He produced a credit card that I'm sure was in his father's name and slid it across the counter. I could only imagine the total he'll wrack up by the end of the summer. I'll have to go shopping for groceries and convince him to partake in homemade meals. As long as I sell it to him as "free food", he might actually fall for it. He could probably use some proper nutrition if the massive amount of candy wrappers and chip bags in his room is any indication of his current diet.

"Don't tell lumpy about the bread sticks. I'm saving them for later."

"Not your dinner, I hope."

"Nah, probably just a midnight snack. I'm getting wings for dinner. Or maybe some tacos."

"What you'll get is a stomach ache."

"Tch. Haven't had one of those in years. My stomach is built for this kind of food."

"Wow. You truly are a picture of health."

"You know it." Eddy's finger guns stop mid fire when something catches his eye. "_Oh great_. Don't look now. Sucker at 3 o'clock"

The bell indicating a new customer rings and I turn to see Kevin approaching the counter. He's clearly coming from work judging by the grease stains on his baggy pants. He's still sporting the same backwards cap, which has clearly seen better days as well. We made eye contact for a split second, and I smiled politely. To my surprise, he stopped and at least half smiled.

"Double D. I didn't know you were back. How's it hanging, man?"

I could feel Eddy's glare on the back of my skull. Oh boy. Better make this short.

"I'm doing well, thank you. And yourself?"

"Can't complain. I've got a job and a sweet bike. What more could a man want?"

Apparently, the conversation had already gone on too long for Eddy's liking. I could _feel _him about to say something and braced myself for an argument.

"Hmm, I don't know Kev, maybe a _life._"

Shockingly, Kevin simply peeked around me to sneer at Eddy instead of responding with violence. They'd come to blows many times if memory served. Although, it should be noted that we'd had physical altercations with nearly the entire cul de sac over the years.

Kevin turned back to me and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"You still hang around with this idiot? Go figure."

"Who're you calling an idiot?!"

I let them bicker as I retrieved our order and thanked the man at the counter. I would have apologized for Eddy's behavior, but I'm sure they were used to his antics by now. I gave Kevin a casual goodbye that I doubt he heard as I dragged Eddy out the door. We returned to the car and Eddy tore out of the parking lot at an alarming speed, no doubt leaving marks on the pavement.

"That was little over dramatic, don't you think?"

"I _think _Kevin is a complete douche bag."

He continued to rant about the many grievances caused by Kevin and his attitude, and I allowed him to vent and enjoyed the warmth of the pizza boxes in my lap.

* * *

The fields of the commercial farm stretched out as far as the eye could see. Admittedly, agriculture wasn't one of my favorite subjects, but it was still fascinating to see the big machines up close. To my dismay, it looked like we would be eating at an old picnic table that was almost part of the field itself. I tried not to complain, but I wished I'd brought something to put down on the seat. These pants were going to need a good washing when I got home.

"Here he comes! Ugh, Rolf's with him. Guess we'll have to share some pizza with him too. What a mooch."

Before I could even look up to see the approaching figures I was tackled by a familiar large mass. The slight pain of his tight grip was more than enough to confirm the identity of my attacker.

"Hi Ed."

"DOUBLE D!"

Eddy snickered at the display of affection. I'd come to expect it from him, but I would have appreciated a warning. And a cleaner surface to have fallen on.

"I'm happy to see you too, Ed. Could you let me up so we can enjoy the pizza?"

"Oh sure. I like pizza."

Ed effortlessly got to his feet and flopped down at the table. I, on the other hand, had to practically peel myself off the ground and dust off all the trespassing filth on my clothes. I was interrupted by a harsh pat on the back.

"Welcome back, knowledgeable Ed boy. You have come to see Rolf's progress with the tall Ed boy, yes?"

"More or less. Good to see you, Rolf."

Despite our surroundings, I was able to thoroughly enjoy myself during the meal. The pizza was exceptional, and Ed's charming idiocy never failed to amuse. I always felt he was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for, and Rolf seems to agree. They make quite the pair, so long as Ed follows Rolfs rules and respects his culture. But they both seem genuinely happy. I'm glad for them.

This just confirms my suspicion that Eddy is going to be my biggest problem this summer. His parents strongly believe that I'm the only one he ever listens to, which is _very_ alarming considering he ignores what I say half the time. If only his older brother had been a better role model. Thank goodness he doesn't live around here. He probably would be encouraging Eddy's behavior. Convincing him to buy expensive junk with his father's credit card or throwing wild parties that would destroy their home. Even just today, swap Eddy's brother into my place and he may have gotten in a full-fledged fist fight with Kevin in the parking lot of the pizza parlor!

Anger has always been an issue for Eddy, and I would _really _prefer not to have to visit him in the hospital this summer. Perhaps it would be best to keep him away from Kevin whenever possible. It's a shame, since Kevin seems like he would actually be interested in talking to me now instead of calling me a _dork. _But I can't put my own interests before the Eddy's safety, as I made a promise to his parents to keep him out of trouble. Hopefully Kevin will just keep his distance. At least when Eddy's around.

"Hey Double D. Watch this!"

My eyes witness the horror of Ed eating a stack of three slices of pizza in one bite. With _visibly _unwashed hands.

There goes my appetite for the whole summer.

* * *

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